Pneumatic thread holder for weft replenishing looms



Jan G. C. BEATRIC PNEUMTIC THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LooMs Filed Feb. 24, 1951 2 sHEETsf-sl-IEET 1 GABRIEL C. BEATRICE MW. @TM

ATTORNEY Jan 13 1953 G. c. BE/HRICE' 2,625,182 PEUMATIC THREAD HOLDER FR WEFT REPLNISHING LOOMS Filed Feb. 24. 1951 z'smE'rS-smw 2v FIGB fs FIG. l2

NVENTOR GABRIEL C. BEATRICE ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 13, 1953 PNEUMATIC THR-EAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Gabriel C. Beatrice, Shrewsbury, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 24, 1951, Serial No. 212,577

13 Claims. (Cl. 139 256) This invention relates to improvements in weft replenishing loom pneumatic thread holders adaptable more particularly to locate the, thread of a freshly transferred shuttle first in a position favorable for self-threading of the shuttle and then in a position favorable for proper cooperation with a filling fork on the loom lay.

Many looms are provided with a filling' fork pivoted on the front of the lay to detect presence or absence of the weft in the warp shed. When a shuttle in such a loom is replenished with iine or glossy weft there is likelihood that the fork will slide off .the weft on the first pick after the shuttle is replenished and thereby cause an unnecessary stoppage of the loom. In order to enable the shuttle to effect self-threading it is desirable that the holder for the thread be more or vless aligned with the lay at the time of pick.- ing. If the thread holder were left in this position, however, the weft of the freshly replenished shuttle might be so far back that it could not support the filling fork.

In a form of thread control mechanism which has gone into general use on certain types of looms the weft ends from reserve bobbins in the magazine are led into a pneumatic intake mouth of a thread holder and thence to a thread collector or accumulator. When the thread of a replenished shuttle is cut at the salvage it is drawn through the intake mouth and into the accumulator. It has been proposed heretofore to move both the thread holder and the thread accumulator bodily in a backward and forward direction for the purpose of locating the holder ina. rear position at the time of picking and thereafter locating it-forwardly to enable the thread to be moved under the filling fork. It is an important object of the present invention to provide a substantially stationary thread accumulator and mount the thread holder for back and forth motion on a combined support and pneumatic connection between the thread holder intake mouth and the interior of the accumulator.

It is a further object of the invention to mount the thread holder on a tube which is slidable with respect to the base or supporting structure of the thread accumulator, the tube enabiing a then temporarily moving the tubular member rearwardly to facilitate self-threading of the shuttle while maintaining pneumatic communication between the member and the accumulator. The tubular member is then returned to its forward position by the spring to await another replenishing operation of the loom.

The tubular member may -be cylindrical and tend to turn in the slide bearing for it on the supporting structure for the accumulator, and it is a further object of the invention to provide a guide carried preferably by a stationary part of the mechanism and engaging the tube to prevent rotation of it with respect to the 'bearing so that a lateral opening in [the tube can be kept in correct register with a port or air and thread inlet in the base of the thread accumulator.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein two forms of the invention are set forth,

thread entering the intake mouth to pass through I Fig. l is a side elevation of part of the weft replenishing loom having the preferred form of the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. l, showing the thread holder in its normal forward position, the thread accumulator cup being in cross section,

Fig, 3 is an enlarged vertical section on line 3 3, Fig. 2, showing the thread holder in its normal forward position,

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged vertical sections on lines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to the right hand part of Fig. 3, but showing the tubular member in the position which it occupies when moved rearwardly to facilitate self-threading of the shuttle,

Fig. 7 is a View similar to part of Fig. 2, but on an enlarged scale, showing a modied form oi the invention,

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8 8, Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section on line 9 9, Fig. '7,

Fig. l0 is a vertical section on line |0 l D, Fig. 9,

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the loom lay in front center position in full lines and in picking position in dotted linesl the thread holder being indicated in rear position, and

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing the thread holder returned to its normal forward position with the thread of a, freshly replenished shuttle under the filling fork of the loom.

Referring particularly to Fig. l, the loom frame I supports top and bottom shafts 2 and 3, respectively, which may be geared together by connections not shown to cause the bottom shaft to rotate once for every second rotation of the top shaft. The loom lay 4 is reciprocated backwardly and forwardly by connectors 5 attached at their rear ends to the crank shaft 2. The lay is provided with a shuttle box 6 to receive a shuttle S. Part of a picking mechanism is shown in Fig. 1, this part being a picker stick 1 which is actuated when the lay is moving rearwardly to propel the shuttle to the opposite side of the loom.

In the present instance the loom is adapted for the automatic weaving of a fabric having two different kinds of weft and is provided with a magazine M having front and back stacks I and II, respectively, of reserve bobbins from which weft ends W extend to a thread holder designated generally at H. A transferrer arm I2 of usual construction is provided to transfer the lowest bobbin in one or the other of the stacks into the depleted shuttle, depending upon the position of the magazine. The latter is p-ivoted as at I3 on a iixed support I4 and is connected by a train of mechanism designated generally at I5 to rock the magazine so that transfer can occur from either bobbin stack.

A lever I6 is rocked about a fixed stud I1 by a cam I8 on shaft 3. A normally stationary setting lever I9 is rocked in a clockwise direction about stud I1 by lever I6, Fig. 1, when a weft replenishing operation of the loom is to occur, thereby lowering that part of lever I9 behind, to the right in Fig. l, stud I1.

A stand fixed to the loom frame has mounted thereon a pulley 2S around part of which is trained a iiexible cord or cable 21 the lower end of which is attached to a turnbuckle 28. A spring 29 having its lower end connected to that part of lever I9 behind the stud I1 has its upper end connected to the lower end of the turnbuckle. A part of the cable 21 extends forwardly as at 30. The loom is provided with an air pump connected to a hose 36 which leads to a thread accumulator A which includes a cylindrical cup 31.

During loom operation the air pump creates sub-atmospheric pressures within the cup 31 during the backward stroke of the lay, to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, and if a replenishing operation is to occur the parts 3B of cable 21 will move rearwardly. This will generally occur while the lay is moving forwardly or at least is in the rear part of its range of motion. After the bobbin transfer the lay moves rearwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 and the rear end of lever I9 will move upwardly and be reset to its normal high position before the lay next reaches its front center position.

The matter thus far described may be substantially the same as that shown for instance in prior Patent No. 2,531,177, and operates in usual manner except as noted hereinafter.

In carrying the preferred form of the present invention into efect the stand 25 has secured thereto a bracket 48 to which a support means 4I is bolted as at 42 in stationary position. This support means includes a base 43 adapted to receive the lower end oi the accumulator cup 31.

The base has an air and thread inlet port 45 expreferably circular in cross section and having an air and thread passage 5I therethrough the left end of which as viewed in Fig. 3 is in pneumatic communication with a thread intake mouth 52 of the thread holder H. The latter may be formed with a collar 53 xed to the tube in any approved manner. A compression spring 55 surrounds that part of the tubular member 50 between the forward end of bearing 41, the left as viewed in Fig. 3, and the collar 53. This spring is normally expanded and maintains the thread holder H in a forward position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The tube 5I) has a part thereof within the bearing 41 cut away to form an elongated upwardly facing opening 55 which is always in pneumatic communication with the port 45. The right end of the tube 5G extends beyond the port 45 and has secured therein a plug 58 closing the rear end of the tube and attached to a tting 59 the left end of which as viewed in Fig. 3 is tapped into the plug. The right end of the fitting 59 is connected as at 60 to the previously mentioned part 38 of cable or cord 21.

In order to prevent the cylindrical tube 50 from turning in the bearing 41 a guide 55 is secured as at 56 to the base 43 and extends down through the port 45 and opening 56 and engages the right and left side walls 61 and 68, respectively, of the tube 50 extending along the opening 56, see Fig. 5. The guide substantially closes the right end of the tube as viewed in Fig. 3 in addition to preventing rotation of the tube in the bearing 41. Stop collar 10 on plug 58 is positioned to engage the rear end of bearing 41 and limit forward motion of tube 50.

In the operation of the preferred form of the invention the parts will normally be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 with the spring 55 fully expanded to hold the stop collar 10 against the right end of bearing 41, see Fig. 3. In this position of the parts the thread holder H will be at the forward end of its range of motion and the weft ends W will pass into the intake mouth 52, through the bore or passage 5I, up from the opening 56 through the port 45 and into the interior of the thread accumulator cup 31. Subatmospheric pressures within the latter will hold the threads or weft ends as indicated in Fig. 3 and whenever one of these ends is cut at the selvage following a transfer of the corresponding bobbin the thread will be pneumatically drawn into the accumulator.

Whenever a replenishing operationA occurs the bobbin transfer mechanism, and if necessary the magazine, will be set by rocking of lever I9, and at the same time there will be a downward pull on the cable 21 so that the tubular member 50 will slide rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 11. The opening 5S is of sufficient length so that when the thread holder and the tube 5B are in their rearmost positions the interior passage 5I of the tube will still be in pneumatic communication with the port 45. This position of the tube and its opening, indicated in Fig. 6, will be assumed by the parts prior to the time the lay reaches its front center position indicated in full lines in Fig. 1l. When the lay reaches front center the shuttle S will be replenished and the thread T of the freshly transferred bobbin will extend diagonally rearwardly to the thread holder. The lay will then move rearwardly to the dotted line position Fig. 1l, at which time the shuttle will be picked toward the opposite side of the loom while the holder I-I is in a position vvCof the tube 59 in the bearing 41. `,motion of the thread holder will ordinarily be .favorable for self-threading by thread T When in flight across the lay the shuttle Will VDass a yfilling fork. F o f the usual center type and lever `fl'9 will ystart to return to its normal position,

whereupon cable 21 will be slackened and the spring 5.5 will expand to move the thread holder H to its forward position, thereby ymoving the thread Tof the freshly transferred shuttle under the fork F.

From the description of the construction and .operation of .the preferred form of the invention .itwill be understood that the tube provides a combinedy sliding support for the holder H .and an air passage between the intake mouth 52 and the port 45, and that the opening 56 will be of suiiicient length to afrord pneumatic communication between the intake mouth 52 and the Aport 45 throughout the sliding range Of motion The rearward sumcient to close the coils of the spring 55 so that the latter acts as a-stOpto limit any further rear motion of the tube 50, whereupon the spring 29 will expand to accommodate any excess motion of the lever I9. From this it Will be understood that the spring and the collar 53 jointly con- Stitute stop means to limit the range of sliding movement of the tube 5U in the bearing 4 1.

AIt will not be necessary in all instances, however, to rely upon the spring as a stop to limit rearward movement of the holder H. When the thread holder is in its forward positionas in Fig. 3 it andthe tube 50 on which it is mounted may .be considered as being in its extended position, but when the tube moves rearwardly to some suchposition as shown in Fig. 6 these parts may then kie-considered .as being in their retracted position, the tube moving from one to the other of these ,positions along its axis as defined by the boreiof the bearing 41.

The plug 58, iitting 59, and the cable `21 may be considered as operating means for the tube 5U connected tothe lever I9, but certain features of the invention are independent of the particular means for moving the operating means and it will be su'icient if any other means is provided which will give the thread holder and tube 59 the motions already described at approximatelyY the timesin the 1.00m cycle set forth herein.- before.

In the .modified form of the invention much of the mechanism thus `far described can be used. The thread holder is mounted on a tube 89 similar to tube 59 but having a relatively short laterally and upwardly facing opening 8| communicating with an elongated slot-like port 82 in the bottom of a base 83 otherwisesimilarito base 43. In vthis modified form o f the invention the tube will move 'from its forward extended position with the opening 3l at the left of the port .82,as shown in Fig. 7 to a retracted or rearward position with the opening 8l near the right end of the elongated port 82 when the operating mechanism moves the tube 8U rearwardly.

In order to prevent turning of the tube 80 in the bearing 41 the plug 58 may have secured thereto ja collar through which extends a guide pin glanchored as at 92 into the base 83. The collar 9.0 serves as a stop to limit forward motion of the tube 8|] and by its engagement with the guide pin 9| holds the opening 8l in register with the port 82.

It is customary to provide the thread accumulator with a vertical rod around which the weft ends in the cup 31 may be wrapped. Ordinarily thisfanehorage rod for the threads vis .eo-A a al with the cylinder or ouh 31. li t :itisde-V sirahle the modified :form of the invention to have this rod, indicated at 95, spaced sum-.- oiently Yfrom the slotfiikeport 82 so that there will he only a slight change in the distance be tween the anchor rod 95 andthe opening 8l when the tube goes from its .extendedto its retracted and then back to its extended position.

From the foregoing itwill be seen .that the in vention sets forth an improved support means for the thread accumulator having a bearing for slidably mounting the tube 50 which not only 4acts as a support for the holder H, but valso by reason of the passage 5l therethrough pneu.v matioallv Connects the intake mouth 5.2 with the port 45 leading to the interior of the acc-unitn later As In both forms of the` invention thenslid ir-ig tube on which the thread holder is mounted can move from its extended forward position to tsfretraoted rear position While mainta'.. g pneumatic communication betweenthe interior of the supporting tube and the port leadiooer to the interior of the accumulator. In the pre- Vferred form 4of the invention the tube .hashan elongated lateral opening 56 which communicates with the relatively short port 45, Whereas Vvin the modied form of the invention the lateral opening in the tube is comparatively short and registers with an elongated port in the base of the accumulator. In the preferred form of the invention the guide 65 prevents turning 0f the tube 5,0 and also closes the right hand part of the tube 59 as shown in Fig. 3 to prevent air leakage which might otherwise reduce the effec, .tiveness Vof the subatmosnherio pressures exist;-k ing in the cup :31. In both forms of the'invention the rear end of the tube is closed by plug 58 which further prevents leakage from the atmosphere and` also servesas part of the op.- erating mea-ns for the sliding tube. It will be understood that in order to prevent leakage in the bore of the bearing around the tubular member the latter should `have a fairly close fit with the bore but sufficiently free to enable the spring t-o return the thread holder to its normal forward position.

Havingthus described the invention it will 4be Yseen'that changesand modiiications of the foregoing specic disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit `and scope of the in vention.

What is claimed `as-new is:

1. VIn support means for a weft end thread holder and a thread accumulator in which sube atmospheric pressures are created, a base hav-Y ing a part to ht the accumulator and having an air and thread port therein, a bearing on the base having a bore therein, a tubular member having an air and thread passage therein communieating with the intake mouth of a thread holder on the member, the latter being mounted for sliding movement in said bore, said member have ing an opening therein affording Ypneumatic connection between said passage and said port, and stop means on the tubular member limiting sliding of the member in said bore to a range of movement throughout which the port is in pneumatic communication with said passage through said opening.

2. The support means set forth in claim 1 wherein a spring yieldingly holds the tubular member at one end of said range of movement.

3. The support means set forth in claim 1 wherein a compression spring surrounds the larsenales tubular member between said bearing and said thread holder and yieldingly holds said member at one end of said range of movement thereof.

4. In support means for a weft end thread holder and a thread accumulator in which subatmospheric pressures are created, a base having a part to t the accumulator and having an air and thread port therein, a bearing on the base having a vbore therein, a tubular member having an air and thread passage therein mounted for sliding movement in said bore, said member having an opening therein affording pneumatic connection between said passage and said port and having thereon a thread holder provided with an intake mouth communicating with said passage, a spring urging said member in one direction in said bore, and a stop on the tubular member to engage said bearing and limit movement of said member in said one direction under action of said spring and cooperating with the latter to hold said tubular member with said opening in register with said port.

5. In support means for a weft end thread holder and a thread accumulator in which subatmospheric pressures are created, a base having a part to fit the accumulator and having an air and thread port therein, a bearing on the base having a bore therein, a tubular member having an air and thread passage therein mounted for sliding movement in said bore and having thereon a thread holder provided with an intake mouth communicating with said passage,

said tubular member being capable of assuming either an extended position relative to said base in 'which the thread holder is relatively far from said base or a retracted position in which the thread holder is relatively near said base, said member having an opening therein through which said passage is in communication with said port Whether the member is in 'extended or retracted position, and resilient means normally holding the member in extended position but yieldable to enable said member to move to the retracted position thereof.

6. In support means for a weft end thread holder and a thread accumulator in which subatmospheric pressures are created, a base having a part to t the accumulator and having an air and thread port therein, a bearing on the base having a bore therethrough, a tubular member having'A an air passage therein slidable in said bore, a thread holder on one end cf said member at one side of said bearing having a weft end inthe tubular member adjacent thereto to the atmosphere.

- 8. The support means set forth in claim 6 wherein said tubular member is cylindrical and a guide secured to said base engages the cylinder at the sides of said opening to prevent turning of said cylinder in said bore.

9. The pneumatic thread holder set forth in claim 6 wherein the tubular member is cylindrical and a guide on the base prevents turning of the member about the axis thereof and extends into said bore on the side of the port opposite said thread holder to substantially close said passage,

10. The pneumatic thread holder set forth in claim 6 wherein the tubular member is cylindrical and a guide on the base prevents turning of the member about the axis thereof and extends 'into said bore on the side of the port opposite said thread holder to substantially close said passage and stop means arrests movement of said tubular member While the part of said opening adjacent to the thread holder is spaced from said guide.

11. The pneumatic thread holder set forth in claim 6 wherein said port is an elongated slot extending in the direction of the length of the tubular member and said opening in the tubular member registers with the port when the member is in a plurality of positions relative to the base.

12. The pneumatic thread holder set forth in claim 6 wherein said opening in the member is elongated and extends lengthwise of the member and the port extends lengthwise of the member for a distance less than the length of the opening, the latter being long enough to register with the port when the member is in any one of a plurality of positions relative to the base.

13. A weft end thread holder mechanism comprising a tubular member having an air passage therein, a weft end thread holder secured to one end of the tubular member having a weft end intake mouth communicating with the end of said passage adjacent to the thread holder, and operating means on the other end of the member closing the other end of said passage to the atmosphere, said member having a lateral opening therein communicating with said passage and 1ocated along the length of said tubular member between the intake mouth of said thread holder and said operating means.

GABRIEL C. BEATRICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,199,354 Turner Apr. 30, 1940 2,336,255 Joslin Dec. 7, 1943 2,416,803 Turner Mar. 4, 194'? 2,567,540 Bergstrom et al. Sept. 11, 1951 

